Tuesday, 27 August 2013

1) Stair Lifts: http://www.daytonaelevator.com/products%20StrairLift.htm
-Handling stairs in your home is difficult or unsafe, let a us help you save you the trouble and pain of struggling up and down. With its smooth rack and pinion drive and battery power, the stair lift can effortlessly take you up and down either a straight or curved stairway, even during a power outage.its slim rail and carriage saves room on the steps to allow others to access past the stair lift.

2) Stair Climbing Cane: http://doesitreallywork.org/stair-climbing-cane-review
-Stair Climbing Cane is a specially designed cane that bends at an angle to provide support while going up stairs.Able to extend up to 37 inches, and support up to 300 pounds. They also say that you’ll be able to walk on any surface with no problem, such as grass, which can be a bit of a challenge with all of its uneven levels. It’s also able to help you navigate over bricks and cobblestone, which can tend to trip you up if you’re not careful.It can make it over sand and snow, two surfaces that can cause problems for even the most able bodied of us.

3) Companion Bird: http://craziestgadgets.com/2011/01/25/stair-climbing-helper-bird/
-Goes on top of railings and helps the elderly or less mobile people to climb the stairs. Useful for people who have a hard time gripping things (perhaps due to arthritis). The bird would enable people to climb the stairs without having to readjust their grip- they could grip the bird once and slide it along with them all the way up the stairs.

5) User-Friendly Convertible Staircase:http://www.mdolla.com/2012/12/convertible-user-friendly-staircase-by.html
-Convertible is a conceptual user-friendly staircase which can be transformed into a ramp. It’s an ingenious idea to help elderly people or anyone who has walking difficulties to climb the stairs easily and conveniently, also for those who need to carry heavy items, they can use a cart or trolley without a problem. This staircase concept aims to minimize accidental falls and injuries.Convertible user-friendly staircase incorporates a simple linkage mechanism which only requires minimal effort to operate. You can mount it directly to your existing stairs, it doesn’t need special construction of a new ramp. It’s been designed for easy installation with minimal maintenance and also low construction cost.

This stair assistance step for the elderly looks somewhat like a cane but it has a four point plastic base on the bottom. The gadget actually adds a step in between stair risers so that the person does not need to step so high. The person moves the EZ Step device one step at a time up or down the stairs reducing strain on knee joints.

Stair compatible function to allow mobility aid by transforming from a simple walker into a gadget that facilitates the user to go up and down on safely. In fact, the Boomer mobility aid is an exceptional combination of user friendly qualities in a modern form.

8)Knee-Aid:

http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/theres-spring-grannys-step
Knee-Aid works on the same principle as a knee guard. However, a torsion spring is attached to the part of the device that is behind the knee. This helps propel the user's foot forward when climbing the stairs.
The device, weighing less than 500g, also has a thigh and calf support, both made of aluminium but padded to prevent discomfort.

StairSteady to help those with walking difficulties climb the stairs. A metal bar attached to a metal stair rail. It allows those with limited mobility to use the stairs without worrying that they will fall. Those using the StairSteady push the bar along the rail to help them balance when they want go up and down the stairs. The bar uses friction to lock itself in place so users can pull themselves up to the next step. It will lock in place if
the user falls or stumbles. When not in use, the handle can be pushed flat against the wall.

10)Electric Walking-Assist Car :http://www.ceatec.com/2012/en/news/webmagazine_detail.html?mag_vol=025
The MEMS Gyrosensor detects any changes in the angle of assist car perpendicular to the ground, and then delivers and controls power to the wheels to ensure stability. The incline sensor measures the degree of any slope uphill or downhill. For an uphill walk, the assist car leans into the slope to make walking easier. When walking downhill, the assist car leans towards the walker whilst applying brakes to the wheels, to provide a stable support. These sensors make it possible for the Electric Walking-Assist Car to deliver support to the walker without asking the user to expend any effort.

Thursday, 15 August 2013

Identify problem: The hand-rail is too large to grab Possible solutions:
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1227637/StairSteady-Teenage-girl-stairlift-millions-stumbling-handrail-idea-GCSE-project.html
StairSteady to help those with walking difficulties climb the stairs.
A metal bar attached to a metal stair rail. It allows those with limited mobility to use the stairs without worrying that they will fall.
Those using the StairSteady push the bar along the rail to help them balance when they want go up and down the stairs.
The bar uses friction to lock itself in place so users can pull themselves up to the next step. It will lock in place if the user falls or stumbles. When not in use, the handle can be pushed flat against the wall.

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

- The elderly collecting cardboards (recyclable materials) along the roadside. This is very dangerous,as car may knock into her.
- Pushing the push cart on the road (rough pavement) is a challenge as the road is very uneven.
- As elderly grow older, they will not be as strong as before, thus putting so many items on the push cart and pushing it on the road is a challenge.
- The push cart just have a flat base, there isnt anything at the side to prevent the items from falling. If the items were to falling, it is quite a challenge for the elderly to pick up one by one.
- The capacity of the push cart is just so limited, there isnt enough space to put more items on it, thus its a challenge for the elderly to find space to hang or tied the items on the handle of the push cart.
- Most unwanted recyclable materials are on the floor, it is a challenge for the elderly to bend down to pick it up.
- During the process of bending down to pick the recyclable material, the elderly may sprained their back.
- Its quite a challenge for the elderly, as this scene takes place in Singapore, Singapore is a hot and sunny country, the elderly may just suffer from heat stroke.
- If suddenly, there is a heavy downpour, the elderly may not have an umbrella with them. And they will just drench and thus fall sick. But even if the elderly have an umbrella with her, she will have difficulty

Challenges face by Elderly in this picture:
1. The elderly may not have enough money to see a doctor if they fall sick, they can only rely on voluntary to give them free consultation or even free health check.

Oberserve:
2 elderly doing some exercise using the facilities in the hospital
It takes place in a hospital
These elderlys are doing some exercises to build muscles and train their body to not be weak but stronger.
There are facilities to assist the elderlys in doing different exercises.

Interpret:
Facilities are there to help elderly to train, to get strong.
Volunteers and nurses caring and helping the elderly
These volunteers and nurses are carrying out their job.
As human grow older, our body tends to get weaker, and we start losing muscle. Thats why the elderly in the picture are doing some exercise.

Imagine:
Does the elderly feel tired doing these exercises?
Lack of volunteers and nurses in assiting these elderly.
I wonder if these elderly feel lonely doing these exercise as they do not have many friends there.

Interpret:
There are lanterns because these elderlys are colouring it.
These lanterns that these 2 elderly had coloured may be for charity.
Maybe lantern festival is round the corner and these lantern that the elderlys had coloured maybe for sales and the money goes to a particular charity organisation.

Imagine:
Does the elderlys enjoy colouring the lanterns? Do they find this activity meaningful.
There should be volunteers accompanying these elderly chatting with them while they are colouring, or they will feel lonely.
I wonder if these activity really can help charity, maybe?

observation:
2 elderlys with 2 half-way coloured lanterns.
It takes place in an old folks' home